Juventus: 5 things we learned from the 2020/21 season

2. Juan Cuadrado is a model of consistency

Holistically, the Bianconeri were plagued by inconsistency last season but there was one man who often contrasted his sides indifference: Juan Cuadrado.

The Colombian’s role as an auxiliary right-back was pivotal to Pirlo’s asymmetrical 4-4-2 structure in possession. Cuadrado was given the licence to venture forward to provide a source of width and creativity in the final third.

And while there was certainly a point in the season where Juve’s staticity and predictability meant they were overreliant on the veteran as a spark of attacking invention, through his exceptional one-v-one dribbling ability and mean crossing delivery, Cuadrado failed to disappoint.

Only Paulo Dybala (4.93) and Aaron Ramsey (4.79) notched more shot-creating actions per 90 minutes in Serie A last season than Cuadrado (4.59) among the Juve players. The Colombian, meanwhile, scored twice and registered a career-high ten league assists – outperforming his expected assists (7.2) by a 2.8 margin. His tally of assists was the most by any defender in Italy and the record number for a defender since the 2004/05 season.

While the marauding full-back was consistently good, he also enjoyed some stellar performances. Cuadrado’s display in the second leg of their Porto humiliation was majestic as he, alongside Federico Chiesa, put a faltering Bianconeri on his back – albeit in vain. Moreover, it was the Colombian who carried his side over the line in the pivotal late-season win over Inter; winning a controversial penalty late on before converting from 12 yards to hand Juve a 3-2 victory.

Defensive resilience became entrenched in Cuadrado’s game as well, especially in the latter stages of the season. His showing in the Coppa Italia final was a prime example of such resolve.

Overall, this was Cuadrado’s most influential season in Turin, with his distinct consistency certainly worthy of a contract extension.